Improvement in horse-rakes



UNITED v STATES PATENT OFFICE.

DANIEL STR-OOK, OF CHAMBERSBURG, PENNSYLVANIA.

IMPROVEMENT IN Hoses-RAKES.

Specilication forming part of Letters Patent No. 30,010, dated September11, 1960.

speciiication, in which- Figure l represents in perspective a horserakeembracing my improvements, the black lines showing the relative positionof the part-s when the crop is being gathered by the rake, while the redlines represent the attitude assumed by "the raking mechanism whenelevated for the purpose of discharging the gavel or to facilitate thetransportationof the machine;4

and Fig.v 2 represents in perspective a del vice for securing the teethto the rake-head in such manner that they may readily be removed orreplaced.

Horse-rakes may be divided into two classes, the first of which consistsofthose in which one or more series of teeth are secured upon a rotatingshaft, and thc second of those 'in which as-ingle series ot' teethhaving a vertical reciproca-ting movement are attached to a rake-head.This latterl class is again susceptiole of division into two varieties,in one of which the teeth are all rigidly secured to the rake-head andnl -ove with it, while in the other the teeth are arranged upon vtherakehead in such manner that each tooth ot` the series is capable ot'moving independently both of tbe rake-head and of its fellows. The free.dom 'of movement andfconseq'uent facility ofadaptation to the varyingcircumstances under which a horse-rake is required vt'o act possessed bythis variety give it many advantages over the` former, and it is to thisvariety that my improvements are chieiiy applicable.

,The object of my invention is to provide a cheap,simple, and efficientimplement adapted to thevarying wants .of the farmer; and myimprovenientsconsist in arranging the rakehead and strainingframe (ofwhich latter the pressure-bar forms a part.) in such relation to eachother that the rake-head shall occupy a position near the ccnter'of thestraining-frame, the two, being united together and rotating upon the`same axis, by which arrangement the 'construction of the machine issimplified `and many advantages attained in its operation, as..4hereinafter ,more fully set forth.

part of thisv To accomplish these objects I mount an axle (havingthillswhich support the platform for the drivers seat inserted into it)upon two wheels which turn on their axle like thse of a common cart,which, in fact, this part of the` machine very much resembles. Twohorizontal beams extend backwardfrom the axle-' -one near each wheeltosupporttwo vertical st andards in which the rake-head is pivoted. Thepressure-bar is suspended from the rake-head by means of radiusbarswhichallow it to oscillate freely onits axis. This pressure-baris suspendedin very nearly the same level as the axle otthe machine, and forms partot' an obf longframe, (which Icall the straining frame,)

to the upper bars of which are attached the Asprings which control theteeth. The rake! head therefore forms the center of oscillation 'of thisframe,- as Well as ot'l the pressure-bar,...

Rake-teeth of any proper form are inserted into sockets on quadrantlevers', (pivotedat.`V .their front eudto the rakehead,) and held inplace by means of a pin inserted into the socket at right angles to thetooth, whichlatter can readily be removed from or -replaced in itssocket by removingthe pin. Upon the top bar 'f the straining.- `frame aseriesot' springs formed of short cylinders lot' india' rubber areplaced, there befmg vone 'for cach tooth. A rod passesdown throughfth'ecenter p' of each cylinder` and the top bar of the strain-l ingframe toabout the level of the rake-head. f vTheupper end of each rod is tittedwithanadjusting-screw to 'regulate the strength of the spring, and toits lower end a strap is attached, which passes around the lower part ofthe quadrantlever and is securedto therakev tooth. The operation ofthese springs is such that when 'the strain is' thrown upon them, as

the teeth are elevated infpassingover obsta-4 the protubcrant portionsofv the quadrants and cles, the lower ends of the 'rods come against 5are'drawn down perpendicular] y,instead of describing the 'arc of acircle, as theywoul'd if merely piv'oted to a pointon the front of thequadrant, by which means .the resistance of y the springs increases morerapidly than would otherwise be the case, and any. tendency to vbend therods outof the perpendicular is pre vented.

' I .the accom!) tiring drawings, the machine is represented a mounted`upon two wheels.,

y A, turningA like those of a cart uponan'axle, vinto which thills C,are inserted. .A platform,

2 emoto l D, rests upon the axle and thills and sustains aseat, E,-forthe driver: The raking mechanism is sustained by two'horizontal beams,F, projectingrearwardfrom theaxle. The

-. rake-head G turns freely in lbearingsiu the standards H, which restupon the beams F.

'f series of quadrant-levers, I, are pivoted to tl1`e.rakehead G andturn freely upon it.

v.Each rake-tooth J is inserted into' a socket, fi,

' as shown in Fig. 2, and held in place by apin or key, i', passingthrough a hole inthe socket,

and a groove or slot, j, in the toothso placed 'as always to retain thetooth in its proper vertical plane.

A f pressure bar, k, is suspended from the -rake-head G by radius-barslo', which allow it to'swing freely'aroundthe rakehead. This bar k isunited at. each end. to'a vsimilarv4 bar, It, by

.means of. straps k3, the-whole forming'an obframe.7` The'-upper\bar,it?, ofthisframe is.

sustained above and in irontot the'rake-head and contains a -seri'es ofperforations,through whichconbeating-rods'll passi-Each ro'd ex` tendsthrough one of a ser-ies cylindrical rubber springs, L,-OI.1 tp i ythebar, and' is provided with an .adjustrnglscrew, i', which" servesftoregulate the tension of th'e'sprin'g. Each rodlis bent at its l0wer -endand'con- Y nectedto a strapor'band, F, which passesun-l der and aroundone" of thequadrants'l a-nd' is secured to one of 'the teeth J. l

y A; lever, M, ispvo'ted to' the oorzof th'e'- plattbrm within reach oflthe drivers, and' is connected by a rod or'cord', m', to the press'-ure-bar kr Clearing-teeth N, of the usual form,.

project-from the back' part of the'axle B.

-Th'e operation ofthe machine is as follows:

The horse being harnes's'edto the machine and,

- the. parts being 'in the attitude show-ii bythe black lines inv Fig.-1, the driveroccupies his se'atEv and'starts'tfile horse'. Ashe'adv'ances the springs L cause-the pointsot the'teetl J to'conform`closely t'otlieundulatio'ns or inequalities:

of the surface of theg'ro'und over which they lare dragged), and incontact with it, andthe -h'ay is consequently' gathered' up by the teeth'withoutt-he pos'sibilityofwaste. When agavel of'suflicietvsize' h'asbeen' accumulated' the driver grasp's the" vhand-lever and draws itlbackward unti the'partsassume theattitude shown'by-theredlinesinFig;1.Astbe teeth are lifted the 'hayisstripped from them by the clearers Nand falls upon the ground'. .The'driver then releases his grasp uponAthe lever andv the parts resume their original attitude. If any one ofthe teeth should encoun ter anobstacle in its path, it is free' to riseover it (by means of'its independent attachment to therake-head) withoutelevatingthe others, and is instantly drawn 'down again by f its springwhen the'obstacle has beenv srmounted. The pressure ot' each tooth`uponY the ground may-likewise be increased without affecting that of theothers by means of the adjusting-screws l. lIi' the'driverdesires toA Ifiner-ease vthe pressure upon all the teeth at, once, he pushesthe leverM from hi'm,which I' draws the pressure-br k `toward him,aud thus fromthe pressure.

My method of arranging the ralzehead and.;

strainin'g-frame isa very convenient'ne, and renders the machinelmuchless complex in its -construction than it would otherwise be,ub'ellsides giving .the t'eeth a capacity for being lifted to` a greaterheight, and otherwise facilitating the operation of the machine. Myrna'n'- nerof securing the teeth in their sock'evts'is also a greatcon\enience,as they are eoinstantly'y vliable, to be broken andhave Itobe removed and'replaced by new ones'. This mode of fastening the teethmay be applied' to a shank-'of v anyo't'her shape with equalsirnp'licityand' effect as to that herein described.

What I claim as my invention,'an'd desiret'o secure by Letters Patent,is

rlhe combination of he rake-head and straining-frame, when arranged and'operatingsubstantially as described, for th e' pu rpose set'forth'.

In'testimcnywhereof I-have` hereunto subscribed my name.

` Witnesses:

SnMLrRE-rslrm, PETER HEEFNER.

DANIEL'fs'rRocK.

